Killers, rapists, drug dealers and paedophiles are among those that have been jailed for crimes in Bristol and the wider region so far this year. The courts have been busy to ensure that justice is served against those who break the law.
Knife crime has had a particularly devastating impact in Bristol this year. A number of young people have tragically lost their lives which has prompted Bristol Live and the Bristol Post to join forces with others to launch a campaign.
As well as high-profile murder cases, the far-right riots at the start of August have hit the headlines this year. Violence broke out in Bristol as rioters clashed with counter protesters and police in the city centre on Saturday, August 3.
Scroll though our list below of the court cases we have covered at Bristol Crown Court so far this year.
January
Manipulative rapist jailed for 18 years
A manipulative man from Bristol was jailed for 18 years on January 10. Curtis Otley, 20 and of Showering Road, Stockwood, was found guilty of 12 offences including rape, attempted rape and sexual activity with a child.
The crimes were committed between 2020 and 2023. For the full story, click here.
Man obsessed with guns jailed for life
A man who built his own arsenal of weapons and explosives and drew up a hit-list of targets for a killing spree was jailed for life on January 12. Reed Wischhusen, 32, had a target list of ten people, including people he was at school with, former teachers, police officers, two schools and the police headquarters.
He had planned out in detail what would have been an attempt to commit mass murder from Weston-super-Mare and Worle to Portishead. For the full story, click here.
Tinder swindler jailed for over three years
A man who stole thousands of pounds from a dozen women across the country was jailed on January 11. Sebastian Timmis, 32, convinced his many victims to send him money after winning their trust in 2022, all while he was on prison licence for similar offences committed during the previous year.
He committed the offences between January and July 2022, using online dating sites and apps to earn his victims’ trust, before making up seemingly urgent scenarios to gain his victim’s sympathy and steal money from them. For the full story, click here.
Drink-driver jailed for crash which changed young family’s life forever
A drink driver was nearly twice the legal limit when he crashed head-on with another car in Bristol. Samuel Staynings, 31 and of Church Road, Bristol, was jailed for three years on August 23.
Avon and Somerset Police said he failed to change lanes when the dual carriageway merged into one when the serious crash happened. For the full story, click here.
February
Drug driver jailed after killing beloved father
A drug driver who had taken cannabis and cocaine killed a young father in Bristol when his car crossed a cycle lane and mounted the kerb to strike him. Lewis Payne, 32, was jailed for seven years and six months in February.
He was travelling at 51mph on the 30mph road in the moment before the collision – and his vehicle was only stopped when it crashed into a lamppost. For the full story, click here.
Four men jailed for smuggling millions of pounds of cocaine
Four men were jailed in February for smuggling millions of pounds of cocaine into Bristol and the South West. Pavel Purkin, 34, Mehmet Sanci, 37, Corneliu Preda, 37, and Garfield Prehay, 36, were sentenced to 37-and-a-half years in prison.
The four men acted as couriers and enabled at least £3 million of cocaine to be supplied to the region from London. For the full story, click here.
Former school teacher jailed for child sex offences
A former school teacher was jailed for four years for historic child sex offences. Robert Kalton, 88, worked as a teacher and church choirmaster at St Augustine’s Roman Catholic School in Trowbridge.
As well being put behind bars, Kalton was put on the sex offenders register for life. For the full story, click here.
Pension jailed for stabbing younger wife to death
A pensioner who stabbed his wife to death at their home was jailed for more than 13 years on Thursday, February 29. Simon Steeves murdered his younger wife Denise Steeves at their home.
The court heard how Steeves, on October 25, 2023, had stabbed his wife and called 999 to tell police he had murdered her. For the full story, click here.
March
Man jailed for sword-style machete attack outside Bristol shop
A man was jailed for carrying out a sword-style machete attack outside of a Bristol shop. Kaleb Lewis, 26, approached and attacked a man who was defending himself with a plank of wood in Stapleton Road on Thursday, August 26 last year.
He was arrested two days after, and tried to hide the weapon and deny his involvement. For the full story, click here.
Drug dealer jailed after thousands of pounds of cocaine and heroin seized
A drug dealer was jailed after police seized thousands of pounds worth of crack cocaine and heroin from his home. Nuradin Mahamad, 21, dealt drugs in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol.
Police raided his home in Barton Hill Road and found 260 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, with an estimated street value of more than £2,500. For the full story, click here.
‘Dangerous and manipulative’ child rapist jailed for 21 years
A child rapist was jailed for 21 years in March. Grant Wedlake, 32, was found guilty of 12 offences, including rape, rape of a child under 13 and sexual assault at Bristol Crown Court.
His offences, which dated back to 2005, had a long-term impact on his victims and left them feeling shame and anger. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for raping teenage girl over 20 years ago
A man who raped a teenage girl in Bristol over 20 years ago was jailed in March. Julian Abrahams, of Craydon Road, sexually assaulted two girls was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The 55-year-old was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on March 14 after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of indecent assault against two victims. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for carrying knife in rucksack
A man was found with a knife after being stopped and searched by police in Bristol. Ross Cowan, 40, was jailed for 17 weeks after being charged with possession of a knife in a public place.
He was stopped by officers in the Old Market Street area at around 9.40pm on Saturday, March 23. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for raping teenage girl
A man from Bristol was jailed after raping a teenager and engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl. Kaydon Hall received a prison sentence of seven years and two months at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, March 22.
Hall pleaded guilty to the rape of a girl over the age of 16, as well as two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a second victim, a teenager under the age of 16. For the full story, click here.
Drug gang jailed after dealing hundreds of thousands of pounds of cocaine
Four people were jailed after dealing hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of cocaine in Bristol. Austen Barnes-Sargeant, Carlie Bridges, Kyle Joyner and Paul O’Shea were all sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, March 28.
Avon and Somerset Police seized large amounts of cocaine and cash over a six-month period last year. For the full story, click here.
April
Father and son jailed for selling ‘useless’ hand sanitiser during Covid-19 pandemic
A father and son were jailed for selling ‘useless’ hand sanitiser during theCovid-19 pandemic. William Irving, 69, and Alexander Irving, 35, both of Woodend Lane, Hill,South Gloucestershire, were sentenced to two years and two months each in prison.
During sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday (April 8) His Honour Judge Cullum described the pair’s actions as “callous profiteering”. For the full story, click here.
Homeless pervert jailed for sexual assault
A homeless pervert has been jailed after sexually assaulting a woman, punching another in the face and damaging shop goods. Jason Marshall, 54, was sentenced to six months in prison at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 2.
In October 2023, Marshall went on his crime spree which left his two female victims badly shaken. For the full story, click here.
Habitual knife carrier and drug dealer jailed
A man was jailed after being found with a knife and drugs by officers in Bristol. Maurice Villious, known as Marco, was pulled over by police while driving through the St Pauls area of the city.
Officers found quantities of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and a knife in his vehicle. For the full story, click here.
‘Deluded and obsessive’ stalker jailed
A man from Bristol was jailed for stalking in April. Clifford Floyd, of Ormonds Close, bombarded his victim with nearly 50 voicemail messages after they went on a single date.
He claimed in court “spirits” had told him to protect her. For the full story, click here.
Drug dealer who trafficked children jailed
A Bristol man was jailed for drugs and modern slavery offences. Tai Makessa, 24 and of Hepburn Road in St Pauls, trafficked teenage children from Luton to the South West to deal class A drugs.
He was jailed for three years and nine months. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for drug offences and breaching Criminal Behaviour Order
A Bristol man, who breached a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), was jailed after being found with Class A drugs. Junior Angus, from Argyle Road, in St Paul’s, was handed a sentence of three years and eight months at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, April 26.
Officers were led to his address and found heroin, cocaine, cash and several mobile phones. For the full story, click here.
May
Mikey Roynon’s killers jailed following stabbing at party
Three teenagers were jailed after they killed a beloved teenager from Kingswood at a house party. Musician and student Mikey Roynon was stabbed in the back of the neck with a zombie knife by Shane Cunningham.
Cunningham was found guilty of murder while his two co-accused friends Cartel Bushnell, 16, and Leo Knight, 16, were found guilty of manslaughter. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed after threatened ex-partner with baseball bat on Valentine’s Day
A man from Bristol was jailed for 30 months after threatening his ex-partner with a baseball bat. Tyler Thornhill pleaded guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm (ABH) and two counts of criminal damage at his ex-partner’s home.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she resorted to taping up her letterbox at night because she feared he would try to set her house on fire. For the full story, click here.
Bristol pair jailed for knife attack
Two men were jailed after an 18-year-old was wounded in an attack in Eastville. Rioul Scharschmidt and Romaine Mullings were sentenced on May 9.
The victim of the attack Dontae Davis was later stabbed and killed in a separate incident. For the full story, click here.
Murderer jailed for life after stabbing man in street fight
A man was jailed for life after pulling out a knife and stabbing a man in the chest during an altercation in a street. Vincent Sparkes, 44, was found guilty of the murder of 41-year-old Neil Bambrick.
He was found guilty of murder and sentenced at Bristol Crown Court at Monday, May 13. For the full story, click here.
‘Dangerous’ paedophile jailed for distributing indecent images of children
A “dangerous” paedophile was jailed after gathering thousands of indecent images of children. Christopher Cefyn James then distributed the images on WhatsApp groups.
The 34-year-old was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, May 16. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for killing football manager with single punch in pub car park
A man was jailed for killing a football manager with a single punch outside a pub in South Gloucestershire. George Baylis hit Scott Hendy outside a pub on Redwick Road, Pilning, around 12.10am on Saturday, March 2.
Baylis pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, May 29. For the full story, click here.
June
Woman jailed for supplying Class A drugs at Bristol Rovers match
A drug dealer who was caught with white powder at a football match was jailed. Claire Brooks, 52, was arrested at Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium in April last year after the substance was found, which led to police officer searching her home.
On Tuesday, June 11, she was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to 30 months in prison. For the full story, click here.
Paedophile jailed for sexually assaulting child
A paedophile described by police officers as ‘dangerous’ and ‘manipulative’ was jailed. Sean Begley, of Monsdale Road in Bristol, admitted 10 offences, including sexual assault of a child and making indecent images of children, and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, June 25.
In a victim impact statement, a family member on behalf of the victim said the trauma would be with her “for the rest of her life” and they “can never forgive him for that”. For the full story, click here.
Rapist jailed after leaving two teen victims ‘terrified’
A rapist who left his two teenage victims “terrified” has been jailed. Nathan Catherall, from Croydon, raped two women in Bristol, aged 18 and 19, he had met on a dating app in 2020 and 2021.
He was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on June 27.
July
Man jailed for eight years for raping woman in Bristol
A man who raped a woman in Bristol last summer was jailed for eight years. Yonas Gebreysus lured a woman away to a secluded place where he raped her and stole her phone.
He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, July 4. For the full story, click here.
Care home deputy manager jailed after withdrawing £40,000 from resident’s bank
The deputy manager of a care home in Bristol was jailed after using an elderly resident’s bank card to withdraw more than £40,000 from their bank account. Nikola Penevski, of Walsh Avenue, Hengrove, admitted abusing his position at Rosedale House Care Home to defraud a vulnerable resident.
He was sentenced to 27 months in prison when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, July 24. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed after throwing handgun underneath car to try and hide it from police
A man from Bristol was jailed after throwing a handgun underneath a car to try and hide it from police officers. Prince Wynter, 25, was seen by Metropolitan Police officers running a red light in Bermondsey, London while riding an e-scooter in October 2023.
The Met Police said Wynter posted a ‘significant risk’ to public safety and followed him. For the full story, click here.
August
Bristol riots
Over 30 people have been sentenced following the far-right riots in Bristol on Saturday, August 3. Rioters clashed with police and counter protesters in Castle Park, on Bristol Bridge and then on Redcliff Hill, in an evening of disturbances.
For the full list of protesters jailed, arrested or still wanted by police following the riots, click here.
Drunk holidaymaker who urinated on plane jailed
A drunken holidaymaker who urinated on a plane in front of shocked passengers and cabin crew was jailed. Brian Watt, 34, caused an easyJet flight from Glasgow to Tenerife to be diverted to Bristol Airport after he became drunk, disruptive and abusive on the plane.
He also smoked in the plane toilets, damaged a soap dispenser and relieved himself in front of other passengers on the flight. For the full story, click here.
September
Man jailed after hunting down and killing rival
A Bristol man was jailed for over 13 years after killing much-loved family man Alex Mamwa earlier this year. David Malcolm, 43, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, September 17 where he was jailed for manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.
The jury dismissed Malcolm’s claim he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Alex. For the full story, click here.
Rapist jailed for abusing three young girls
A man has been jailed for raping three girls in Bristol. Robert Ponter, 57, carried out the attacks between 1998 and 2007, and his victims were aged between 11 and 15 at the time.
After a police investigation, he pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to three counts of rape of a girl aged under 16. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for fatally punching much-loved father at folk club
A remorseless man was jailed after fatally punching a dad at a folk club in Bristol. Gary John Selwood was jailed for four-and-half years at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, September 30 after being convicted of manslaughter.
The 59-year-old punched Paul Carter, 69, in an “unprovoked” and “unjustified” attack at Whitchurch Folk House in East Dundry Road on the evening of Sunday, February 27, 2022. For the full story, click here.
October
Two men jailed after loaded gun ditched in alleyway
Two men were jailed after ditching a loaded gun in an alleyway as they fled police in Bristol. The weapon was a 9mm Parabellum self-loading pistol, which is banned due to it’s barrel length and because it’s self-loading.
Zachariah Talbert Young, 26, of Carlyle Road, Easton, Bristol, and Paul Elijah Hayden, 21, of Reade Close, Hanham, were jailed after being convicted of possessing a prohibited firearm following a trial at Bristol Crown Court. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed for murdering his uncle in unprovoked attack
A man was jailed for murdering his uncle by repeatedly smashing his head against a wall. Grant Walker, 32, was found guilty of the murder of his uncle Terry Ricketts, 53, following a five-day trial at Bristol Crown Court.
He was sentenced on October 4. For the full story, click here.
Double rapist from Bristol jailed for nine-and-a-half years
A Bristol man who raped a woman twice earlier this year was jailed and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. Thomas Osbourne, also known as Solomon Osbourne, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years for his vicious crimes that left his female victim fearful of all men.
He denied the offences, forcing his brave victim to relive her ordeal in court during his trial. For the full story, click here.
Man jailed after being found with machete and cocaine
A man was jailed after being found with a machete and crack cocaine in Bristol. Zhakhiah Fanty, of Landseer Avenue in Lockleaze, was jailed for more than three years.
He appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, October 3. For the full story, click here.
Paedophile jailed after abducting child in his lorry
A man was jailed for jailed for sexually abusing and abducting a teenage girl. Kyeran Taylor, 33, carried out the sexual offences between September 2021 and April 2022.
Bristol Crown Court heard how Taylor took his victim to London in his lorry after a campaign of abuse. For the full story, click here.
Young man jailed for attempted murder of teen at busy Bristol McDonald’s
A man convicted of attempting to murder a teenager in Bristol earlier this year was jailed. Joel Binnings, 20, stabbed a 16-year-old boy in McDonald’s in The Horsefair on Thursday, February 8, leaving him with serious life-changing injuries after a four-month hospital stay.
Binnings, of Fishponds, denied one count of attempted murder but was found guilty by a jury following a four-day trial. For the full story, click here.
Drug driver jailed for killing moped rider after running red light
A drug driver was jailed for causing the death of a teenager in South Gloucestershire. Harry Charlton sped through a red light at the A4174 Wraxall Road roundabout in April 2022, causing the death of 16-year-old Daniel Davies.
Charlton, from Kingswood, previously pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed drug limit. For the full story, click here.
Thief jailed after swimming through lake to avoid police
A thief who swam through a lake in an attempt to evade police after stealing a bottle wine from a shop in Bristol was jailed. Chad Lambert, 35, then tried to hide in a tree on a small island before being arrested.
Avon and Somerset Police officers chased him to the lake before using a drone to follow his movements on the island. For the full story, click here.
‘Very dangerous’ pervert jailed after targeting dozens of children
A dangerous paedophile from Bristol was jailed for 24 years for extensive child abuse offences. Andrew Thorne was found guilty after pleading guilty to 18 offences, including sexual communications with a minor, creating and distributing indecent images of a child, and coercing a child into participating in sexual activities.
A judge described Thorne’s offenses as being unlike any case the court had seen before. For the full story, click here.